Pouch, Ammunition, SA (Small Arms)
General Information
Name: Pouch, Ammunition, SA (Small Arms).
Country of Origin: New Zealand.
Manufacturer: Golden Bell Traders.
Date of manufacture 1988.
NATO Stock Number (NSN): 8465-98-104-4039.
Camouflage Pattern: Olive Drab (OD).
Equipment Family: Yet to be identified.
Number Of compartments: One.
Volume Capacity: 3L.
Size:
Height- 22cm.
Width- 8cm.
Length- 11.5cm.
Waterproof: No.
Similar Objects
History
With New Zealand becoming Nuclear Free in 1984, virtually all of its military supply lines were shut down. This led to New Zealand looking to the commercial market for individual equipment to equip soldiers.
In the late 1980s, New Zealand replaced the U.S Alice Pouch with its own version of the Australian M-1956 (Aust) Universal Ammunition Pouch that was produced in South Korea. The Pouch, Ammunition, SA retained the same design as the original version with only the fabric being changed, starting first with a lightweight cotton canvas, then an olive green nylon cloth and lastly a rip-stop cotton cloth.
The Pouch was not only used as an ammunition pouch as it was found to work well as a small utility pouch and a canteen pouch. It was not uncommon for soldiers to assemble their web sets using nothing but this style of Pouch. This enabled the web set to be balanced better and Pouches at the back acted as a shelf for the Alice Pack Frame to rest on.
Description
The Pouch, Ammunition, SA (Small Arms) is a rectangular shape with a permanently attached lid with sides and a front that extend down past the top lip and closes with a cotton webbing pull-tab closure. The Pouch’s back face has an adjustable supporting strap with a free-running metal spring-hook that supports the top of the Pouch when it’s clipped to the Web suspenders.
Below the supporting strap are two Slide-Keepers that attach the Pouch to a web belt. The sides of the Pouch have side-loops and retaining straps to hold grenades, but in reality, New Zealand soldiers never used this for its intended function. Instead, they chose to use it to hold a Toggle Rope in a convenient place on the web set.
Examples
Example One
Example One was produced in 1988 and is the first iteration of the Pouch, Ammunition, SA. It was made from lightweight cotton canvas, which proved to be prone to significant wear and tear under field conditions. This lack of durability led to its replacement within a short period by a more robust nylon version.
Object Number: 2421-554-36120.
Example Two
Example Two is the second version of the Pouch, Ammunition, SA, fabricated from woven nylon webbing. It replaced the first iteration within a year of its issue due to the limited durability of the canvas webbing used in the original design. This particular example is missing the spring clip and clamp buckle, which were likely removed sometime after its service life.
Weight: 185g.
Object Number: 2421-554-45102.
Example Three (Modified)
Example Three is a modified version of the second iteration, likely repurposed for use as a rear pouch or canteen cover on a web set. The original quick-release pull-tab has been removed and replaced with a 19mm side-release buckle and webbing strap. The supporting strap at the top has also been removed, and the ALICE keepers have been replaced with a 50mm webbing belt loop, allowing the pouch to sit lower on the web belt for improved accessibility and compatibility with other equipment. This adjustment also allowed the ALICE pack and frame to sit more comfortably on the web set when the rear was fully loaded with these pouches.
Weight: 175g.
Object Number: 2421-554-45103.
Example Four (Modified)
Example Four is a modified version of the third iteration, which replaced the second version roughly a year after its issue. The change addressed problems with the earlier nylon webbing, which tended to unravel at the sides and offered limited durability. The third iteration was instead fabricated from heavy-duty rip-stop canvas to improve wear resistance.
This particular example has been field-modified, with the original quick-release pull-tab replaced by a 25mm side-release buckle. In some cases, the bottom half of the buckle is glued or fixed directly to the front flap of the pouch, allowing it to be closed more easily with one hand. The ALICE clips on the back have been removed and replaced with two 50mm webbing belt loops, positioning the pouch lower on the belt. The top supporting strap has also been removed.
Weight: 200g.
Object Number: 2421-554-45104.
